Five Hundred Miles
by knowthescore
Summary: Beca Mitchell and best friend Jesse work as farm hands when they are twelve years old. One day, unexpected royalty traveling through their town changes everything when Beca meets Princess Chloe. Years later, Beca and Jesse are tasked with bringing the princesses back safely, through a country at the brink of war. What will happen if unexpected love blooms along the way? AU!
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hey, guys! This is my first Bechloe fic, not sure if it's any good. I was struck with an idea I can't shake, and would really appreciate knowing if you guys thought it was any good, and if I should continue. I love these girls a lot, and hope I can do justice to them. That being said, this fic is very AU, so let's see how it goes, shall we?**

**I, alas, do not own Pitch Perfect. I definately would have confirmed a sequel by now, if I did. :P**

* * *

Young Beca Mitchell gently smoothed the kinks out of the brown horse's mane. She had just finished carefully washing him, and now she was preparing the final touches on his appearance before she could call her day's work finished at the farm.

She was excited to check up on her best friend, Jesse, and see if he was done with his work on the farm, also, so that they could go play ball.

Beca excitedly hopped off the ladder she had been using and washed her hands, drying them at the bottom of her shirt as she quickly walked out of the stable. She could see Jesse out in the fields in the distance, waving happily back at him after his face broke out into his puppy-smile and he nearly dropped the crops he was collecting. She hid her chuckle behind her hand at his subsequent reprimand from the farm owner.

She sat down on a nearby stump, content to wait for Jesse as he wrapped up his shift in the shade. She built a tower of sticks, tossing rocks above and around it to entertain herself. At the sound of a trumpet, she startled, throwing her rock too hard and knocking the tower flat.

At first, she couldn't tell where the sound was coming from, but then the first horse came over the hill. She noticed movement out of the corner of her eye, and turned to see the older workers on the farm removing the hats from their heads. There was only one reason they would do that in the sweltering August sun, and she realized what it was as soon as the banners rounded the hill- the Prince was passing.

The Prince was only three years older than Beca and Jesse, but was already well-known for his promiscuous ways. He was, in all honesty, pretty attractive, in that Mediterranean type of way; the olive skin, the dark hair and long eyelashes.

Beca bowed her head as his horse rode past the farm, watching the horse's hooves strike the ground, one after the other. A little curious as to who was riding after the Prince, Beca slightly raised her head.

Surrounded by armed guards on foot, Beca could make out two heads- one blonde and one redhead. She cautiously peered around the guard to get a better glimpse, and saw two princesses sitting atop tiny ponies. The one with blonde hair was facing forward, very stiff. The one with copper locks was bouncing, smiling happily at everyone she passed. She turned and suddenly caught Beca's glance.

Even from far away, Beca could tell the Princess was beautiful. Her small golden crown framed her hair perfectly, making everything about her positively glow with radiance.

But her eyes. Beca had never seen eyes in quite that color. The small, sweet smile she sent Beca contrasted all the other smiles she had been sending so vividly that Beca instantly needed to know more. Unfortunately, the princesses were swiftly carried away with the dust, leaving poor Beca to only wonder.

"Who… who were those girls?" she ventured cautiously over to the farm owner, still standing agape next to Jesse.

"Well I'll be." John says, running his hand over his head in shock. "I can't wait to tell Gail that this happened. I didn't think this would happen so soon…"

"What is it? What's happened?" Jesse questioned, confused as well.

"Prince Donald will be marrying one of those two ladies. This is the first meeting, where he meets both of them, and whichever one he is taken with, he can either choose now, or when he is the right age to marry, which is on his nineteenth birthday." John put his hat back on his head, wiped his jaw worriedly, and turned to walk back to the house.

"You're both dismissed for the day!" he called back to them, nearly inside.

Jesse immediately turned to Beca, shocked. "Two princesses! Here? In our town? Really, what are the odds of that! That is super cool!"

Beca shrugged slightly. "Why is that cool? We're never going to meet them."

Jesse stopped in his tracks, turning to grin mischievously at Beca.

"Oh, no. Absolutely not. Are you crazy? We're NOT going to sneak into the castle to meet the princesses!" Beca hissed at her friend.

"Who said anything about castles?" Jesse beamed, pulling a reluctant Beca behind him.

* * *

"This is a bad idea." Beca whispered to her friend, eyeing the guards in the clearing in front of them. "Like, don't get paid for a week and still have to do the work, bad idea."

Jesse swatted at her to be quiet, which Beca reluctantly went along with. He surveyed the situation presented by viewing it through some shrubbery, and then backed up slightly to stage whisper to Beca.

"Okay, so, it's almost nightfall. That means the Princesses will be finishing up supper soon. When it's over, we just sneak back and pretend we're part of the servants, and boom, easy as pie, we'll get to see the princesses up close!"

"Oh, that's your plan, genius? What about those guards? What are we going to say to them when we have to scoot around them?"

"Yeah, that's a good question!" came a booming voice from behind them.

Beca and Jesse both gulped loudly before being dragged on their backs out from behind the bushes.

Both fought against the man holding them, but the two skinny preteens were no issue for the beefy, balding guard.

"Look-ey what I found, fellas." The guard taunted, throwing the pair harshly on the ground of the clearing. Beca cried out, landing on her wrist roughly. Jesse's concerned eyes immediately found hers, and she shook her head to calm him.

"So, were ye tryin' to sneak in, steal a glimpse of the lasses, were ya now?" wheezed an old soldier with an eye patch, limping his way over to them. He gruffly spat to the side, coughing sharply before rounding on Beca.

"Yer a pretty one, aren't ya, lass? Bet I could sell you for a pretty penny…" he trailed off, lifting a dirt-covered finger to move a strand of her hair. "And in a few years, we might even have a _special_ bus-i-ness for you to join…" the men around her laughed loudly at their leader.

"What is the meaning of this?"

The soldiers snapped apart at the disruption, immediately at attention in front of the two princesses, one who looked shocked from the background, and the red head, the one who had said something.

"I… uh, ma'am?" the Captain who tormented Beca asked nervously.

"I said, what is the meaning of this?" the princess repeated, eyes narrowing dangerously.

"We didn't mean nothin', misses, we were just teasing a little before we were gonna let them on their way." The head guard shifted nervously on his feet.

"I don't ever want to hear of you talking to any of my servants in such a disrespectful manner again, do you understand me?"

"You… your servants?" the guard sputtered, visibly whitening.

"That is correct. Do I need to say anything further on the matter?"

The guards swiftly shook their heads.

"Excellent. Now follow me, you two. I'm sorry you were lost." And the Princess turned on her heel and walked into her camp.

Beca and Jesse just stared after her.

The Princess seemed to know they were not following, as she called back over her shoulder "Punctuality is considered a virtue!" that had the pair scrambling after her.

"I can't believe she saved us." Jesse mumbled to Beca.

"Yeah, I wonder why." Beca questioned back. This girl didn't owe them anything. Why was she being so kind?

She was broken from her musings by a sharp cry next to her, followed by a crumpling sound. She turned to see Jesse on the ground, both hands over his knee.

"Jesse!" she shouted, forgetting herself and rushing to his side. She was joined momentarily by a second pair of hands, gently feeling Jesse's leg.

"I think he pulled a muscle behind his knee." She said, watching Jesse retract his leg at the slight pressure on the muscle. "He needs medical treatment. Aubrey?"

She met the gaze of the blonde princess, who rolled her eyes and gestured to one of her guards to pick him up. Beca watched in a daze as everyone dispersed at a quiet command from the red-haired princess, unable to cease her worrying over her best friend.

"Follow me." The soft voice of the Princess floated, not giving Beca much of a choice when she grabbed her hand.

She was led into a tent, wide and spacious, at the center of the camp. Everything on the inside was colorful, a stark contrast to the white of the tent walls. She felt herself be sat on a settee near what she could only assume to be the Princess' bed, as the Princess herself fluttered around the kitchen area, telling Beca everything about herself; her hobbies and favorite things, to why she wished people wouldn't be so mean, all while putting on a kettle.

She eventually came to sit next to Beca, crossing her ankles delicately and gazing at her guest. Beca did her best to avoid the gaze. She didn't last too long.

"Hi." The redhead said softly upon first catching her eyes. Beca forgot how to breathe.

She had been right, earlier. Like totally, totally right. This girl had eyes that could set things on fire, they were so alive. Beca was stunned into submission, totally missing the redhead's question until she nudged her playfully.

"I, uh, I'm sorry, what?" she shook her head to try and get some of her thinking process back.

The redhead giggled.

Like, _actually_ giggled. At her. In response to something she did.

Beca could already feel her cheeks warming up.

The princess smiled a mega-watt smile, repeating her question. "What's your name?"

"Oh, uh, sorry. My name… my name is Beca. Beca Mitchell."

This caused the redhead to grin further. "Hi, Beca. My name's Chloe, pleased to meet you."

She held out her hand curtly to shake Beca's hand. Beca looked at it suspiciously, one eyebrow rising of its own accord.

"Um, sorry, Princess… Chloe, but what are you doing?"

The redhead giggled again, her cheeks dusting with pink. "Well, I thought we might be friends." Princess Chloe explained, matter-of-factly. "Seeing as you don't really work for me." She winked as an afterthought.

"You caught that, huh?" Beca asked sheepishly, tucking some hair that had fallen behind her ear. Chloe gasped dramatically.

"You're hurt! Why didn't you tell me you were hurt? I've just been blabbering on and I could have been taking care of you!"

"No, I'm okay; really, you don't have to call anyone or anything…" Beca insisted, hating the thought of their time getting cut short in any way. Chloe looked at her, grinning. "Who said anything about calling someone?"

She turned and left Beca on the settee, going over to the drawer of her night stand and rummaging through it, pulling out some bandages. Beca chanced a glance at her wrist, and swiftly directed it away from her body, totally grossed out. Chloe caught her doing this, and chuckled as she put the salve on her wound, covering it with fresh bandages.

"Why are you being so nice to me?" Beca swiftly let out, having held back the question from the moment the redhead had intervened. Chloe sat silent for a few moments, smoothing the air bubbles out of Beca's bandage.

"I want to be a doctor." She finally whispered, glancing down forlornly. "I realize that I can't be that; I have a duty to uphold by marrying Prince Donald, if he chooses me. But that won't stop me from trying." She steered her glance back up toward Beca, something steel inside of it. "I care about people. I want to protect people and fix them as much as I can."

"Then why don't you?" Beca suggested gently. Chloe looked at her, head tilted questioningly. "No, I mean it. Why don't you become a doctor? I know that you have a 'duty' but why don't you do this for you? You're not getting married today, right?" Chloe shook her head. "Well, then, do this. This is for you, Princess."

Chloe smiled. "Call me Chloe, please. And, you know what, you're right. You're a really amazing person, Beca." She lowered her voice conspiratorially. "That's partly why I stopped them, you know. I knew you were different." She nodded her head once, deftly, as if agreeing with her prior judgment of Beca's character and being most pleased with herself.

Beca flushed, tucking that ever-elusive strand of hair behind her ear once more. "I knew you were, too." She admitted, "When I saw you earlier. I just… knew I had to be your friend."

Chloe's smile impossibly widened, and next thing Beca knew, Chloe had thrown her arms around Beca's shoulders.

"I think we're going to be fast friends." The princess declared, snuggling happy into her new friend's neck. This only made Beca frown. She pulled away from the princess.

"But… will we ever see each other again, after you leave?" she sadly inquired, already suspecting the answer would be no.

"Well, I believe that we were introduced to each other by fate. And I think that fate didn't intend to make this a one-time deal. So, yup, we will see each other again." Chloe smiled happily.

"Well, good," Beca said warmly, "Because I really like you."

She quickly clapped a hand over her mouth in horror, but Chloe only smiled at her.

"Well, I really like you too, Beca."

A rooster crowed in the distance.

"Oh, dear, is it that time already? I hate to be a bother, but I have to get up in a few hours, and-"

"Don't even worry about it; I'll get out of your hair. I should find Jesse anyway." Beca said regretfully.

"Okay." Chloe said, equally dejected. She got up and followed Beca to the opening flap of her tent.

"Remember what I said, Beca. We'll totes see each other again." She reached up to embrace her friend again, sighing at the contact.

Chloe went to pull back from the hug, but Beca only pulled her in closer. She smiled softly, content to stay in her new friend's arms for a little longer. What she didn't expect was for Beca to pull back slightly, and put a soft, sweet kiss on the apple of her cheek. Her breathing noticeably staggered. Beca noticed and her lips pulled into a smile as she reached Chloe's ear, whispering.

"Thank you, Chloe, for everything. Don't you dare forget me." Beca swiftly kissed her once more on the cheek before darting out of the tent.

If she had bothered to turn around at the sound of her name, she would have seen a frozen Chloe, in the same position but for the hand on her now-blazing cheek and a goofy, lop-sided grin on her face.

She knew that she certainly wouldn't be forgetting Beca anytime soon.

* * *

**A/N: So there it is! What do you guys think? Should I continue, or what? The next chapter will take place several years from this one, where we'll see all the main characters at (roughly) the ages they are in the movie.**

**Drop a line, valentine!**

**(Not even sure what that was, but yeah, if the spirit moves you, let me know if I should continue!)**

**Thanks for reading!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Hey guys! I know, you probably totally hate me. So I'm just going to leave this chapter as a peace offering and back away slowly...**

**(Quick note. To the reviewer who said that they wouldn't say things like 'totally' in medieval times- you're right! But this story isn't set in that time period. It's set in a fantasy world, one where men and women are on the same playing field, with modern ideas and values and, yes, language, but still with old-time themes and magical things like dragons. Think Game of Thrones meets equality! Or even, think of Eragon or even the Prydain Chronicles (Black Cauldron, etc.). Hope that helped.)**

**Don't own Pitch Perfect, but it'd be cool if I did!**

* * *

"Order, Order! We shall have order!" Vizier Bumper projected, stamping his staff on the ground. "Presenting his royal majesty, Prince Donald!"

Everyone on the throne room bowed their heads as the Prince swept into the room. Even without the custom burgundy cape always donned by his father, Prince Donald looked every bit the regal he was. His emerald green vest with the high collar and gold designs set off elegantly against his tight black pants and cream undershirt. He marched over to his throne, golden crown catching the natural light from the windows, the rubies set in it sparkling magnificently. As he reached his seat, he caught Beca's eye and sent a roughish wink at her.

Beca, for her part, managed to keep her eye-rolling to a bare minimum. As the town's deputy sheriff, she had to behave respectably in public. Luckily she managed to keep her best friend's loyalty through all these years, and he delivered a soft nudge to her ribs to keep her in check. Jesse had grown into a good-looking young man, swooping hair and a bit of a goatee growing under his moustache. As the town's story teller, everyone knew who he was by name and face. He was never short on supply of young ladies fawning over him. Jesse didn't really mind.

The only thing that had really changed in Beca, from the time she was eleven until now, was that she filled out a shirt much more than she had when she was young. She stopped growing around twelve, and endured almost constant bickering from her so-called best friend since then.

Prince Donald was currently seated on his throne, doing his best to look unimpressed before Bumper made an obnoxious knocking again with his staff.

"His Royal Highness would like to make a proclamation at this time!"

Prince Donald cast a slightly withering glance out at his esteemed town leaders.

"As many of you know, my birthday is fast approaching us. It is my intention, as well as the intention of the high council and my father, the King, for me to marry either Princess Chloe or Princess Aubrey from the kingdom of Aegland. Due to the king's illness, I am unable to leave the stronghold of the castle to retrieve them myself. It is because of these circumstances that I have appointed two representatives for myself to go forth on the quest to retrieve the princesses."

He paused in his speech, looking over the room to make sure he had everyone's attention before continuing.

"These representatives must be the epitome of bravery, in order to navigate through our country and others during this wartime. It is my pleasure to announce that those two champions will be Jesse Swanson and Beca Mitchell."

There was a collective gasp, followed by hushed whispers of congratulations to the pair, who were standing next to each other.

"Now, please leave us, as I must now discuss the two companions Jesse and Beca would like to accompany them."

At the Prince's word, everyone bowed deeply and turned to exit, several patting Jesse and Beca on the back as they went. It truly was an honor, the Prince trusting then with this task.

As soon as the double oak doors were closed, Prince Donald kept his impassive mask for three whole seconds, before cracking a smile and letting out a belly laugh. Beca and Jesse followed, pleased at the show.

"Wow, I don't think I've ever seen you so stiff before." Beca chided the Prince, who had tears of humor in his eyes.

"Yeah, well. I have 'certain duties to uphold', or so my parents like to constantly remind me." He chuckled.

"Yeah, like shackin' up with one of the princesses." Jesse teased good-naturedly.

At this mention, Donald's smile fell.

"About that." He started, suddenly serious. "I picked you two because I honestly did think you would be the best for the job and I trust you the most, but if you don't want to do it, I totally understand and could definitely find a replacement…"

"Don't even think about it." Beca cut him off.

"Seriously. We met Princesses Chloe and Aubrey, remember?" Jesse said confidently. Beca shifted next to him. "It would be a pleasure to bring them back here, safe and sound."

"Well, if you're sure."

"We're sure. You picked us yourself, remember?" Beca winked at him.

"Yeah, yeah, you're both great. Now, can we get to the part where you submit names for your other companions so we can get the celebratory feast underway?" Donald cheekily smirked.

"Well, I know who I want." Jesse stated confidently. The other two looked at him, and he raised an eyebrow. "Was it not obvious? I'm picking Benji, of course."

"Of course." The Prince stated raising his hand and eyes to the heavens.

"What? The guy rocks." Jesse said, shrugging. Beca side-eyed him. He smiled his dopey puppy smile and she rolled her eyes in affection.

"And Beca? Who are you thinking of?"

"Well," she started cautiously. She glanced to Jesse for support, and he gave her a nod of his head. "I was thinking Lilly?" When Donald didn't have any visible reaction, she pressed on. "I mean, think of it from a logistics standpoint. Lilly is the most skilled weapons master in the kingdom, and we could really benefit from her knowledge while encountering any unforeseen problems on this journey."

Donald held up a hand to stop her explanation. "No need to convince me. I know how skilled Lilly is. I accept both of your propositions for companions. Now, let's call back the council members and officially present your application and then, we feast!" He smiled widely.

"Bumper!" he projected. The Vizier scurried into the room. "Announce to the council members that we have made a decision!" Bumper deeply bowed and flung the main door open, loudly summoning the High Council. In the precious seconds before he had to be in charge again, Donald leaned towards his friends. "You can leave, if you want. There's no reason you need to stay here for this, you would only be utterly bored. Go say goodbye to your families, as you will not see them after tonight's festivities."

The duo nodded, aware that on the last night before any quest, participants were to stay in the castle, in order to be closest to the armory the next morning for the start of their journey. Thanking their prince, Beca and Jesse bowed to him before promptly exiting the room.

As the door shuddered to a close behind them, Jesse turned to Beca and grinned. "I told you he would pick us."

She smiled back, pleased at their luck. "Yeah. It was kind of weird, though." Jesse looked at her questioningly. "I mean, the fact that he didn't resist or even really comment on me picking Lilly…"

She knew that Lilly would be a sore subject for Donald to talk about.

Lilly was their friend from childhood. She always played every game with them, until she was around twelve and was taken away for special training to become a weapons master. She returned when she was fifteen.

It was around the time that Donald started sneaking down to the village to play with the kids his age- namely, Beca, Jesse, and Benji- and from the moment Donald and Lilly met, it seemed like fate. It quickly turned into a full-blown affair. The duo was crazy about each other, and spent every possible second with one another. It lasted for a year, before they were caught. In the back of everyone's minds, this day seemed inevitable. They just had no perception of how bad it would get.

Lilly was beaten within an inch of her life, and Donald was warned that if he ever spoke to her again, the soldiers who did the beating would not be so lenient. Donald showed up to the playing field the next day with a fractured leg, which he said was from falling down the stairs, and stated he wouldn't be able to play with them for a while. No one believed his story.

Jesse visibly shuddered next to Beca, clearly remembering the fated day when Donald stopped being just their friend, and became a Prince, too.

He shook his head as if to clear the thoughts from it and turned to Beca, shrugging sadly. "Well, there's not really anything we can do now. Or, really, anything we could've done then." He paused before remembering what he had originally wanted to ask her. "Oh; do you want to come by my house after you say goodbye to your dad?"

Beca frowned and moved her head non-committedly. Jesse could tell that she was not happy with the situation, not really being one to enjoy her father's company, so Jesse held up his closed fist with great solidarity, moving it close to her so she could bump it. She smirked at this, and granted him the comfort gesture, before swiftly hugging him and taking off in the opposite direction.

* * *

Beca sat on her father's couch; jaws clamped firmly together and frown in its usual place.

This is exactly why she didn't want to say goodbye to her father. It would've been much easier to have just not said anything and left, and dealt with the repercussions when she got home.

Beca's father paced back and forth in front of her. His wife sat in the corner chair, looking on smugly.

Paul Mitchell had gotten re-married a year ago to a woman named Sheila, who was a seamstress in town, just two short years after her mother had died.

Sheila was a frightful woman. She liked to torment Beca every chance she got. She mostly just rubbed salt into Beca's open wound of losing her mother by claiming that she and Beca's father were the _best_ matched couple in the town's history.

It was completely correct to say Beca hated her stepmother.

"I don't want you to go."

Beca rolled her eyes at her father. "Yeah, you've told me as much."

He scowled back at her and continued pacing.

"You know, if you keep that up, you're going to wear a path into the carpet." Beca commented sarcastically.

"Beca, I am not in the least concerned about the state of the carpet. I'm concerned about you…"

"Oh my god, dad, I get it, but I'm not a kid anymore. I can take care of myself."

"Like hell you can."

"Paul, maybe we shouldn't fight her on this."

Beca snapped her head up, incredulous look splattered on her face.

_What's her angle?_

Her father's head snapped to his wife after Beca's, disbelief etched in his features as well.

Sheila smiled domineeringly. Beca's stomach dropped.

"Yes, it's a good idea. That way when she only makes it one town over before deciding to let Justin continue by himself, we'll still be here to welcome her back. It'll be a good experience for her, walking a few miles. She'll see someone other than James, the little recluse." She simpered, sickeningly sweet.

Beca chose to ignore what her stepmother had just said; knowing that everything about her speech- from her obvious suggestion that Beca was incompetent to the way she refused to call Jesse by his name- was in an effort to rile her up. She refused to take the bait.

Beca's father stroked his beard, considering.

"Good point, dear. Alright, Beca; I'll allow this. But with one condition."

"Dad, I don't really owe you anything. I was selected by the Prince, even if I didn't want to go, I wouldn't have a choice. Also I don't live with you anymore and am technically an adult, so you don't really get to make decisions for me anyway. I do, though. Want to go, that is. I can do this."

Paul finally caught his daughter's eyes. He could clearly see the determination in them, and knew nothing he could do would stop her.

"Well, alright. That's true. Just… just promise me you'll try and be safe? You'll keep your wits about you, and you and Jesse will watch out for each other, and you'll be smart about food sources, and-"

"Dad, I get it." Beca raised her hands to stop her father, finally allowing a small smile to bloom across her face.

Paul stared at her for a second longer, before pulling her into a two-armed hug. Beca didn't even try to resist, but blatantly ignored her stepmother's scoff from behind her.

She pulled apart first, looking up at the thatched roof to prevent her tears from falling. A quick glance around the house, committing everything to memory, and she was good.

"Well, I'd better be going now." Beca glanced at her stepmother. "Goodbye, Sheila."

Sheila looked slightly uncomfortable, but raised her hand in an apparently sincere farewell.

"Goodbye, Beca. Do try not to die."

Beca stared at her in surprise for a moment, eyes rapidly blinking. She played off the sincerity as her clearly wild imagination, and turned to her father. He threw an arm around her and walked her to the entryway.

"Do you need anything, Becs? I don't have very much, but I could give you some money, or…"

"Thanks, Dad, but I'll be good."

Her father leaned against the entryway post, clearly trying to stall.

"Alright then, if you're sure. Come home in one piece, are we clear?"

Beca saluted. "Crystal."

She allowed herself to be caught in another hug. After all, they probably wouldn't be seeing each other for upwards of a year.

"I love you, Bec."

"I love you too, Dad."

* * *

Two hours later, Beca was practically dragging Jesse down the road. It had been a particularly hard goodbye with his family.

Jesse's family was like a second family to Beca. And after her mother died, they basically took her in. Beca's father was in a near- comatose state when his wife died. He couldn't be motivated to do anything- eat, work, nothing. The Swansons made sure she and her father were fed and sheltered, and after three months, she and Jesse moved out to live on their own.

Jesse kept turning to look back, clearly trying to gauge if he could still see his mother crying and waving her handkerchief in the air, her father gruffly waving next to her. His younger sister and even younger brother had climbed a tree next to their house so that they could see him longer. Even they were out of sight now.

"C'mon, man. Pull yourself together."

Jesse sighed dramatically. "Yeah, you're right. We'll be at Benji's soon."

As they rounded the next street corner, they saw Benji standing outside his house. Benji scratched at his short, curly hair before adjusting the pack on his shoulder. He moved out to the rode and, once they caught up to him, fell into step beside them.

"Hey, guys. I thought it might be better if I already said goodbye before we had to get to the castle. Saves time, right?" Benji smiled his big, crooked smile.

Jesse clapped him on the shoulder. "Right you are, bud."

Benji accepted the term with a shy gaze at the ground before he turned to Beca. "Is Lilly meeting us at the castle?"

Beca shrugged. "I'm not sure if she'll even get there tonight. You know she still lives in that training base in Castle Corway. That's a good five hour ride. She might be here as late as the morning." Benji nodded, processing the information.

"So, what'd you end up packing?" Jesse nodded to the knapsack over Benji's shoulder.

"Oh, just a few things. A book on edible wildlife, a journal on first aide, some clothes, and a few other things I thought might be useful."

Beca and Jesse smiled at him, Beca saying "Smart man." At the same time Jesse said "You actually brought books along, you dork?"

Benji smiled happily at Jesse, brushing off the well-meaning insult. "Hey, you never know."

"He's right." Beca smiled next to him. She glanced at the two boys, grateful it was them she was traveling with.

Her smile slipped off slightly when the castle came looming into view.

As this was the King's favorite castle, it was garishly decorated to any normal eye's view. The royal colors flew everywhere, making the entire castle seem wholly burgundy and gold. They walked over the drawbridge and through to the center courtyard, where the party was already decidedly in progress.

The townspeople were all gathered, and the beer seemed to be flowing well. Children of all ages chased after each other and danced together in great rings to the lively folk music. A few young men threw a ball to each other, clearly a game of their own invention. In one quiet corner of the yard, a play was going on, retelling the King's mighty slaying of the Dragon Mustaferno to an enraptured audience. In the opposite corner, two young girls were having a fencing match with two wooden swords in front of the food tables.

"Man, now this is a party!" Jesse exclaimed next to her. Beca spotted Donald on a wooden throne (presumably) carried outside for the occasion. He looked like he was itching to get out of the chair. He was eagerly eyeing the row of drunken men, singing along to the current song with rapport. He pulled at the high collar of his vest, a dark navy this time, and slightly adjusted his crown.

"Evening, Donald!" Jesse shouted over the music once they were close enough. Donald jumped, but after realizing who they were, grinned happily at them.

"My friends! Welcome to your celebration!" He stood and quickly hugged each of them, before catching Vizier Bumper's eye and sighing greatly.

"I have to announce your presence, but then we get to really begin! Let's have one last night of some fun before you're off in the morning!" He strolled confidently towards the center platform of the courtyard. He climbed the steps, burgundy cape flapping in the slight wind, raised his hands, and it was quiet.

"Townspeople! Friends! As I'm sure you are well aware, our heroes have arrived! Let us make sure that they are welcomed and treated akin to royalty! We owe them gratitude for their task for the good of the kingdom! So, on that note, let us celebrate!" Everyone raised a glass, deafeningly toasting Jesse, Beca and Benji before cuing up the music once more.

An older bar matron stumbled over to them with three overflowing glasses of beer, one of which Benji politely declined.

"Here, I'll have it!" Donald joyously called out; taking the tankard from the woman and downing it in one go. Beca and Jesse stared, flabbergasted.

"What, you think I can't hold my alcohol?"

* * *

Donald couldn't hold his alcohol.

Like, not even the slightest bit. He was completely gone after the first beer, and Beca and Jesse had one of his arms over each of their shoulders, trying to carry/lead him up the many staircases of the castle. Benji went in front of them to open doors.

When they finally reached the Prince's room, Benji opened the door, ignoring the guard's widened gazes at the Prince lolling his head around whimsically. While searching for the light, Benji preceded to spectacularly trip over the bear skin at the apex of Donald's room. They managed to drag the Prince into bed and only bothered to take off his shoes and his crown before exiting the room. They told the guards to wake the Prince at sunrise, as he had requested, and proceeded down the corridor.

"Well." Benji started.

"Well' is certainly a way to describe it." Beca said, chuckling.

"I mean, you nearly broke every bone in your body and we haven't even left the castle yet." Jesse joined in Beca's laughter, softly ribbing his friend. Benji just smiled and shook his head good-naturedly.

There was a scuffle of sound, followed by the creak of a door being opened behind them and a "Psst! Some of us are trying to sleep, please, kindly, shut your mouths."

They turned, but Beca was the only one who saw one of Vizier Bumper's hairy legs under the long nightgown before the door slammed shut once more.

The trio broke into laughter, running down the hall before Bumper could scold them again, finally reaching their rooms at the end. "Goodnight, boys." Beca called, still smiling.

"Night, Beca." They responded. The boys went to the room on the left, and Beca went to the one on the right.

After changing into her sleepwear, Beca lay flat out in her bed. She willed sleep to come, but it seemed she was too wired about the quest to properly shut her brain off.

She reached over to where her jacket was hanging on the back of her chair and dug into the pocket, pulling away with a folded piece of paper. She smoothed it out and read the words committed to memory.

"_Beca,_

_Are you still going to try to volunteer to bring me to meet Prince Donald?_

_It would mean a lot to have a familiar face be with me on the journey back to your home. Even though we only actually met once, so I only barely remember what you look like!_

_Also, I miss you. And sometimes, words aren't enough. Do you ever get that feeling? I get the feeling that we're supposed to be friends. Like our lives will be altered by each other. What do you think?_

_If you are coming, please be safe. Our country is at war and I would hate if anything happened to you. Pinky promise? Okay._

_Love, _

_Chloe_"

Yes, Chloe. Beca would promise, for her.

She stuck the letter under her pillow and switched off her lamp, engulfing the room and her mind in darkness.

She fell asleep swiftly after that, without much of a fight from her now quieted mind.

* * *

**A/N #2: So, um, do you guys hate me? I made this chapter longer than the last one as a way of apologizing, but life just took up too much time. I was involved in a musical, which meant three straight months of rehearsal (and I work in the theatre like, as my day job, which was on campus, meaning I was at school for a minimum of twelve hours a day, six days a week) and after that I went straight into finals. I know it's not really an excuse, but that's why.**

**So! That being said, is anyone still interested in this story? Should I continue writing it? Let me know in general, and if you can, let me know what you think of this chapter.**

**You guys are the best. :)**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Hey, guys! Tried to get this one out a little faster than usual. Please let me know what you think!**

**I don't own Pitch Perfect. I know, you're surprised.**

* * *

Beca sat down with a thump next to Jesse in the Breakfast Hall. He passed her a mug and they both began to inhale cup after cup of coffee wordlessly. Benji sat across from them with the newspaper in front of him, and a tall glass of orange juice. Blearily, Beca noticed that Donald looked a hundred times worse than they did from his perch at the high table. She smirked.

Benji was the first to gather everyone's attention, folding his newspaper up and glancing up at them. "You know, perhaps if you two hadn't had so much to drink…" he trailed off, chuckling merrily. "Well, either way; look who's decided to join us?"

He gestured in between their shoulders, and Jesse and Beca turned to see Lilly come striding into the hall. They both smiled and Jesse waved her over to join them. Beca noted that Donald instantly sat straighter in his chair, almost all residual sleepiness wiped away.

Lilly didn't even spare a glance in his direction, but wordlessly walked around the table to sit next to Benji, grabbed the plate that was handed to her from a servant who appeared stealthily, and began to eat.

That was another thing about Lilly. She rarely, rarely ever spoke.

Before the incident, she was one of very few words. They had a policy of "Speak only when necessary" at the weapon master's house where she spent her training years, which she readily adopted. But after the incident, she spoke even less. There was a rumor that the guards who tortured her had cut out her tongue. Being her close friends, they knew that, fortunately, this was only a rumor. But Lilly had never spoken after that day to any of them in public. The only time she would speak to any of them was when she was sure they were alone.

So when Beca asked "How was your ride?" she didn't expect an answer. And, true to her nature, Lilly just shrugged as if to say "Eh."

Benji stood, stretching. "Alright. I'm off to collect the few things of mine in my room, and then I'll meet you guys in the wardrobe master's quarters."

Beca and Jesse looked forlornly down the table to the coffee pot, which they would undoubtedly not be seeing the likes of for a while.

Both decided to quit stalling and just head to get outfitted, double checking with Lilly that she was ready to go. Which, of course she was, so she continued to eat her breakfast.

Trekking through the hallways, they managed to find the necessary room rather quickly. They would each be allowed two shirts and two pairs of pants, one pair of boots, and one traveling cloak, as to cut down on the space the clothes would take up.

Beca and Jesse each chose quickly, and chose almost the exact same thing- two beige collared, long-sleeved shirts, two sturdy pairs of brown riding pants, and dark brown steel-toed boots equipped for walking and riding. Jesse picked a sturdy leather vest with cross stitching up the sides and a high collar for protection. Beca chose a similar vest, but one with a front pocket and buckles, where Jesse's was tied together. Beca's was also slightly more breathable than Jesse's.

Both picked up leather belts on the way to the door, and received their cloaks- a midnight blue, to help the travelers blend in to the night and blend in a country- Princess Chloe and Princess Aubrey's- where the royal color was that precise shade. They were expecting to arrive at the Princess' castle late fall and staying until winter was over, making it back in the summer for the Prince's next birthday. The cloaks would be extremely useful as the nights grew shorter and the days grew colder.

They walked out the door of the wardrobe master's after profusely thanking her and took a left, walking down an incline that led to the armory.

Benji was outside waiting for them, leaning against the wall. He smiled.

"I already had my clothing picked out, so I thought I'd just meet you guys here."

"Good call, Ben-man." Jesse clapped him on the shoulder.

A man who they assumed to be the Master Smith stood at a tall anvil, mighty hammer swinging as he forged a white-hot short sword. The trio watched in awe before the smith spotted them.

"Ah, welcome! I suppose you three are the questers? You're here for your weapons, is that right?" He bellowed to them. Three heads nodded.

The smith raised a finger, signaling to them he'd be just a minute, and turned back to his work. He placed a set of quick, heavy blows to the sword and threw it into a vat of water, causing steam to hiss up from it like a snake.

He took off his gloves, wiped off his face, and stepped out of the semi-darkness so they saw him properly for the first time.

He was an absolute bear of a man, arm muscles bulging and covered in sweat that drenched through his shirt. He wore an apron which was covered in scorch marks, and his arms were rough and scarred from standing near the fire so closely for most of his life. He had a full but tamed beard and moustache, black as night, but there was no hair at the top of his head. He had kind brown eyes and an earring in one ear. He held out a calloused hand to shake theirs, leaving them all a bit flabbergasted.

"You can call me Aeddan." He thundered, shaking each one of their hands, and their entire arms in the process. "Follow me, young adventurers!"

He led them through a door into a separate room, gesturing to an apprentice to keep the bellows burning while he was away.

"This is the armory." He called from ahead, letting them in through the next door before him. Beca felt her jaw drop open.

It was a medium-sized room, but it was furnished wall-to-wall with weapons of every kind.

Aeddan turned to them, smiling. "Well, pick what you think will help you the most, then come and find me when you're done so I can catalogue it. Take whatever you need; the Prince has given you full clearance."

Beca started the group by nodding politely to him and walking towards the swords. A beautifully designed hilt instantly caught her eye, with leaves and ivy swirling upwards, so she reached for that first. It was immediately apparent that it was too light for her, so she put it back hastily. She glanced at the others until she spotted one with grooves for her fingers in the leather, a sun and moon engraved on either side of the blade, just where it hit the hilt, and lifted it off the rack to test its weight. It was just slightly heavier than what she was used to, but it fit well in her hand. She decided it was a solid choice.

The boys had also finished picking their swords, so now they had to pick secondary weapons. Beca wasn't particularly skilled in any specialty weapons, so she quickly decided on a short sword that would be attached at her hip and upper thigh. Beca walked over to Aeddan who handed her the straps for the short sword and the shoulder-to-hip strip of leather that would hold the sheath for her broadsword at hip level. He also passed her three pouches that had loops on the back, to easily slide onto her belt for safekeeping.

"One is empty," he told her, "And this one," he shook the pouch with a sun stamped into the leather, "is if you need to make a quick escape. Only use a pinch of it, it is very effective. Now, this one," he held up the last pouch, stamped with a crescent moon, "This one will stop any enemies you have in their tracks. It is very potent, so use it only when absolutely necessary."

He moved on, gesturing to a row of armor. "You can help yourself to anything, but I would suggest your arms and shins need it the most, and to definitely take a shield that you can attach to your horse's pack."

He waited until Beca had attached the three pouches to her belt before turning and offering the same explanation to Jesse and Benji. Jesse had chosen a whip for his second weapon, and Benji a bow and arrows.

Beca did as Aeddan suggested, and, after picking out a suitable shield, got gold-plated shin and forearm guards and donned them quickly, the boys following suit.

Lilly joined them at this time, wordlessly accepting her pouches before turning to the room at large, looking for something. She spotted it and dashed off, returning moments later with a sturdy, oaken staff that was about a foot taller than she was. The team walked out after Smith Aeddan had finished writing everything down, and told them that Prince Donald was waiting for them, through the side door and across the courtyard to the door of the stables.

"Is there anything else I can do for you?" Aeddan offered.

"Do you have any advice?" Beca asked, only half-joking.

Aeddan seemed to take her request seriously, and rubbed his beard, pondering.

"Well, I always say that life's a forge. You're going to be held in fire, you're going to be melted and pounded and molded, and pounded again. But the end result is usually worth it. Remember to stand boldly to the flames, my young friends, and everything will be fine."

The teens stood still, eyebrows high and jaws hung low.

"And don't forget to come and regale me with your tales when you return!" he exclaimed, chuckling heartily. "Now, off you go!" The group turned and walked single file out the door, adjusting their new armor and weapons, shifting the cloaks held under their arms.

They heard a voice ring out behind them.

"And best of luck to you!"

* * *

They rounded the corner to see Prince Donald in slightly less royal garb than normal (in fact, the only thing that revealed he was royalty was the ever-present crown atop his head) with two stable boys holding the reins to their horses.

"Hello friends. Here are your horses, take a minute or two to get acquainted with them before we lead them out and send you off." He smiled. "Benji, this first one is yours- her name is Chestnut, for apparent reasons." Benji chuckled and led the light brown Chestnut away.

"This next one is yours, Jesse." He nodded to the only white horse, which had randomly placed black and grey spots all over its body, with a long black mane and tail. "This one is named Ryder."

"Nice, that's very subtle." Jesse said, leading the horse towards where Benji stood.

"This handsome lad will be your partner, Beca." He patted the all-black horse, save for the white stripe running up the center of his head. The horse shook his head regally. "His name is Philippe."

"Hello, Philippe." Beca said, moving closer to the horse and taking the reins from the stable boy. She slowly led him away, catching that Lilly's dark brown horse was named 'Maggie' before stopping to smooth her hand over her horse's side.

She continued this motion for a few minutes, softly telling the horse how thankful she was for him and that they would be close companions by the end of this journey. She finally hoisted herself up onto the saddle and trotted Philippe over to where Benji and Jesse stood, further into the stables than before. She quickly descended, confident in the saddle placement. Lilly and Donald were right behind them, and the five of them walked together to the back, open entrance of the stables.

Donald heaved a great sigh as they walked into the sunlight.

"Well, this is it, I'm afraid. This is where we part ways. I'll miss you all. Stay safe, stay together. If you run out of the money and supplies I've given you, all of my Lords have been commanded to replenish you whenever you need to do so. Thank you and best of luck. When you return, I will be about to turn twenty-one. I will see you around my birthday. Bring my future wife home safely, friends. Good luck!"

The Prince hugged each of them firmly, and they all mounted their horses together.

They waved at the Prince until he was a small speck behind them, and set their sights onward.

* * *

"Ahh, at last." Jesse sighed in relief, spotting the Inn they were staying the night at one street over.

They had just arrived in town, and were grateful the Inn was so close to the city line, because the sun was almost completely set. They were glad that they had one more night sleeping on beds before they would get on a whole new level with mother earth.

They left their horses at the stable, checking in at the front desk and heading straight to the bar for dinner.

After a quick meal, Jesse took on his story-telling persona for the bar patrons. Three stories later, and he had won them all free alcohol.

Jesse, deciding to heavily partake for the night, had to be put into bed by Benji and Beca, in a weird mirror image of the night before.

They had to get up mid-morning, so Beca left Benji to tend to their drunken friend, and quickly slipped into her adjoining room with Lilly, who was already in her bed for the night. She smiled over at Beca and waved goodnight, prompting Beca to do the same, before slipping under her covers and allowing sleep to consume her.

* * *

**A/N#2: So. What do you think? Sorry that this was kind of a filler chapter, but I thought it was necessary.**

**Let me know! :)**

**Also, to all the people who left reviews but don't have ff accounts- I see your reviews, and I love you to death for them, but I can't respond. I'm super sorry! I'm not neglecting you, I still love you all!**

**Till next time!**


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